WKCS
Encyclopedia
WKCS is a student-operated high school radio
station in Knoxville
, Tennessee
, broadcasting an oldies
radio format
.
The station is owned and operated by Fulton High School, and was included in the school's charter in 1951. The "KCS" component of its call letters refers to "Knox County Schools
," and the station's nickname of "Falcon Radio" is a reference to the public high school
's mascot
. In addition to music, the station features live broadcasts of the school's football
and basketball
games.
WKCS is the only high school radio
station in the Knoxville area and, as of October 2010, the only station in the Knoxville market with an oldies format. It operates 24 hours daily, the only East Tennessee
student station to operate around the clock.
. In 1996 the school acquired a new 1100-watt stereo
transmitter and was able to increase its power. Full 24-hour operation began in February 2005, after a digital automation system was installed. In 2007 the station added an online service.
In the early years, the station primarily broadcast sports and spoken-word programming, including new (live and pre-recorded), drama, and variety programming, with music aired at lunchtime. Music programming increased over time, and a "good music” format
was introduced in the 1960s, including Top 40, adult standards
, and country music
. That was replaced by a rock music
format in the early 1970s, and later by an adult contemporary
format. The current oldies format has been in place since 1995.
High School Radio Awards. The station's "Fulton Football Pregame Show" is a finalist in the sports talk program category in the John Drury High School Radio Awards, to be announced in November 2010.
High school radio
High school radio within the United States is almost as old as radio broadcasting itself. Simply defined as a radio station, with its studios located at a high school and usually operated by its students with faculty supervision, stations fitting this description existed in the mid-1920s...
station in Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, broadcasting an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
radio format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
.
The station is owned and operated by Fulton High School, and was included in the school's charter in 1951. The "KCS" component of its call letters refers to "Knox County Schools
Knox County Schools
Knox County Schools is the school district that operates all public schools in Knox County, Tennessee.- History :Before the 1987-1988 school year, the city of Knoxville and Knox County operated separate school districts...
," and the station's nickname of "Falcon Radio" is a reference to the public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
's mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. In addition to music, the station features live broadcasts of the school's football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games.
WKCS is the only high school radio
High school radio
High school radio within the United States is almost as old as radio broadcasting itself. Simply defined as a radio station, with its studios located at a high school and usually operated by its students with faculty supervision, stations fitting this description existed in the mid-1920s...
station in the Knoxville area and, as of October 2010, the only station in the Knoxville market with an oldies format. It operates 24 hours daily, the only East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
student station to operate around the clock.
History
WKCS started operating on December 18, 1952, during Fulton High School's second school year. Although it was licensed to broadcast at 310 watts, for many years its power was limited to 250 watts due to the capacity of its transmitterTransmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
. In 1996 the school acquired a new 1100-watt stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
transmitter and was able to increase its power. Full 24-hour operation began in February 2005, after a digital automation system was installed. In 2007 the station added an online service.
In the early years, the station primarily broadcast sports and spoken-word programming, including new (live and pre-recorded), drama, and variety programming, with music aired at lunchtime. Music programming increased over time, and a "good music” format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
was introduced in the 1960s, including Top 40, adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
, and country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. That was replaced by a rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
format in the early 1970s, and later by an adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
format. The current oldies format has been in place since 1995.
Awards
In 2010, "Thrillin' Thursdays," a two-hour-long sports talk program aired weekly on WKCS, was named the best sports talk program in the Columbia College ChicagoColumbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
High School Radio Awards. The station's "Fulton Football Pregame Show" is a finalist in the sports talk program category in the John Drury High School Radio Awards, to be announced in November 2010.